135 King Street - Investing in Safety, Resilience, and Community
The Town of Cohasset is committed to ensuring the safety, resilience, and well-being of every resident. The new Public Safety Building at 135 King Street represents a critical investment in modern facilities, technology, and emergency response for the next 50 years.
This 21,300 sq. ft. building will replace the outdated Elm Street station, originally built in 1962, and will provide first responders with the space, tools, and infrastructure required to respond effectively in today’s world.
Key Features
•Police Department – A fully compliant, modern station with secure holding cells, evidence storage, interview rooms, booking space, and specialized communications infrastructure.
•Fire Substation – A two-bay station designed to NFPA standards with gear decontamination zones and modern alerting systems, reducing response times by up to 4 minutes in key areas.
•Emergency Operations Center – A dual-use facility that coordinates town-wide response in disasters, while doubling as a public meeting and training room during non-emergencies.
•Town & School Data Center – A secure, resilient hub for municipal and school technology, strengthening Cohasset’s cybersecurity and continuity of operations.
Community Value
•Faster Emergency Response: Strategic location improves response times across town, especially Beechwood, North Cohasset, and all schools west of the railroad tracks.
•Modern Safety Standards: Full ADA compliance, Level IV essential facility requirements, and NFPA standards.
•Technology Resilience: A central Data Center to protect Town and School operations from outages and threats.
•Community Use: An Emergency Operations Center that also serves as a public meeting space.
Cost & Fiscal Responsibility
•Total Estimated Cost: $27.4M
•2023 Appropriation: $10.4M (property acquisition)
•Supplemental Request: $17M to be voted at the November 3, 2025 Special Town Meeting
•Cost Controls: The design has been scaled back three times to eliminate non-essential features, reducing the size from 28,823 sq. ft. to 21,300 sq. ft.
What drove the increase in cost?
•Upgrading from a commercial building to a Level IV essential facility (the standard for all public safety buildings).
•ADA compliance, including elevators and accessible spaces.
•Engineering upgrades: stormwater, drainage, traffic circulation, parking.
•Public safety infrastructure: sallyports, juvenile separation, secure evidence rooms, backup power.
Timeline Milestones
•July 30, 2025 – Bid process opened
•September 12, 2025 – Bids due
•November 3, 2025 – Special Town Meeting funding approval vote
•January 1, 2026 – Target construction start
Looking Ahead: Phase Two
Once the King Street facility is complete, Phase Two will focus on renovating the current Elm Street station into:
•A modern Fire Headquarters
•A permanent home for the Town’s IT Department
•Space for the Cohasset Safe Harbor Coalition
This phase will require separate planning, bidding, and Town Meeting approval.
Stay Informed
This page will be updated regularly as the project progresses. Residents are encouraged to attend public forums, ask questions, and be part of shaping Cohasset’s future.